The Brussels Labour Court ordered Belgium to provide shelter for an Afghan family who had been granted protection in Greece but were sleeping on the streets of Brussels – a setback for the Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA).
The family had been living on the streets in Brussels for weeks. Belgium's asylum reception agency Fedasil justified its decision not to give them shelter by stating that they had already been granted initial protection in Greece upon their entry into the European Union, and suggested they return to Greece.
The State had filed a third-party appeal against an initial decision, dated 21 August, which ordered Fedasil to accommodate the applicants.
In its decision, which L'Echo was able to see, the court criticised Fedasil's "clearly obstructive attitude" and called for "measures to be taken to encourage it to enforce the court ordering it to accommodate the defendants."
This decision is a thorn in the side of Minister Van Bossuyt, who intends to drastically reduce the number of asylum seekers in Belgium.
To this end, she passed a bill, which came into effect in August, highlighting the fact that asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU country will no longer be eligible for reception in Belgium, in order to prevent what she calls "asylum shopping."
The Brussels Times has contacted to office of Minister Van Bossuyt for a reaction.
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